


Orange Sky

by monarch_v



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Love, i tried my best guys, probably ooc but like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 17:38:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monarch_v/pseuds/monarch_v
Summary: Ever look at someone and wonder... what is going on inside their head?Well, this is what Keith’s thinking about during the sunset scene with Lance.[Not Beta-read. I just needed to write pining Keith. In my opinion, there aren’t enough actually unrequited love fics, so here’s my gift to you!]





	Orange Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, it’s not beta-read, so please comment any errors, misspellings, mistakes, or anything else about the writing that bothers you.

Keith watches the amber sun slowly sink below the horizon as he sat on the head of the Black Lion. When he lived in his desert shack, he watched the sunset every dusk. It was always a beautiful sight; one that he will surely miss once they go on their mission to rebuild the universe.

Sure, other planets have sunsets too, and similar ones at that. There was just… something about the Earth’s sunset that always smoothed over Keith’s stress at the end of the day. He watches it every time he needs to think. Kosmo sat at his side, the galactic dog content with looking at the clouds tinted orange.

“Man, you can be a real hard guy to find when you wanna be.” A familiar voice rang out behind him, accompanied by… clanking noises? 

“Hey, Lance—” Keith glances behind at him for a moment, before doing a double take. 

“Woah!” His eyes widen, rivaling the size of a dinner plate. “What… are you wearing?” Keith stares at his ridiculous outfit. Lance is wearing a bucket on his head, two pans on his shoulders, a belt with cooking utensils hanging from it, and a cape. He looks exhausted, the furrow of his brow also telling Keith that he’s frustrated about something. 

Lance sighs. “Coran made it for me for my date with Allura.” He slumps down on the space beside Keith, the pots and pans tied on his shoulders making a racket when he sits.

“A date with Allura? Wow,” Keith doesn’t try to stop the cheeky grin that started to form on his face. “Well done Lance.” He ignores the lump forming in his throat.

“Thanks, but... It could be our last,” Lance pulls the bucket off his head before looking down, dejected. “I can’t keep all these Altean customs straight.”

“Listen, if she’s going out with you, it’s because she likes you; the annoying, stupid, earth version of you.”  _ ‘The beautiful, compassionate, and selfless version of you,’ _ Keith thinks, but he keeps those words to himself. A small smile makes its home on his face.

Lance chuckles, and Keith can’t help but watch as the last rays of golden-hour light fall upon the contours of his face and his pretty blue eyes. 

_ ‘You have no idea how happy you make me.’ _

“Watching the sunset?” Lance asks him, still looking straight ahead at the sun and the soft clouds around it. 

“Yeah,” Keith lies. He’s paying no attention to the sun in the distance and directing all of it to the sun right beside him. “Might be a while before we get to see it again.” Sadly, they both know that they might not be able to return to Earth for years. 

“Man, I’m really gonna miss this place,” Lance says, absentmindedly tapping his fingers in a gentle rhythm. Keith resists the urge to reach out and hold it, to draw comforting circles on his knuckles. 

“That’s why we gotta end this war,” Keith says firmly. 

“And we’re gonna do it with the Lance that’s the paladin of the Red Lion, the Lance that’s always got my back, and the Lance who knows exactly who he is and what he’s got to offer.”

Keith’s memories of Lance come running back to him. How proud Keith was when Lance mastered the Red Lion’s controls and their endless numbers of reconnaissance missions where they were always ready to defend each other. 

One of his most prominent memories was the conversation where Lance questioned his worth; where Keith resolved to always remind Lance of his importance, even if it meant giving up his own spot on the team. 

He turns a reassuring smile to Lance, and he smiles back. Lance’s eyes were sparkling. The lump in his throat turned into a fluttering in his chest, but Keith tried his best to hide his reaction. 

Just because he’s pining after Lance doesn’t mean that he’s going to hold him back from being with someone he loves.

“Thank you, Keith. I...” Lance says, “That meant a lot to me.”

There’s a beat of silence before either of them spoke again.

“Allura’s lucky to have you, Lance. Anyone would be lucky to have you.” Keith murmurs. The last sentence slipped out without him meaning to, and he resisted the urge to throw himself off the head of the lion.

Lance didn’t question it though, thank the stars. “Who are you and what have you done with the real black paladin?” He lightly teases, and they laugh.

_ ‘If only you knew how long I’ve felt like this.’  _ Keith thought, in another moment of comfortable silence. 

_ ‘Lance McClain, I love you so much that it scares me sometimes. And I can’t tell you, because it wouldn’t be good for either of us. You deserve so much, and I can’t give it to you. You love Allura and she loves you back. There’s no place for me in that equation, and I’m fine with that.  _

Keith’s reverie was interrupted with Lance getting up, the pots and pans attached to his waist creating a lot of noise.

“I better get going. It’s almost dinnertime, and I have to get rid of these.” He gestures to his whole outfit, ugly orange Garrison uniform included.

“You do that. I’ll see you tomorrow, Lance.”

He takes his leave, bringing with him the bucket he had like a hat, and Keith’s heart.

Damn, he really is a softie now.

“Should I have told him, Kosmo?” Keith turned his attention to the cosmic wolf at his side. Wolves don’t talk, but he tries to convey some kind of sympathy by whining softly. His owner rewards him with a pat on the head.

“I don’t want to worry him. I shouldn’t worry him.” There’s a burning in his eyes that he tries to blink away, but it doesn’t work.

Keith shakes his head and clenches his fists. “I shouldn’t be crying.” He furiously wipes away the tears that have built up. 

“Lance is happy, Allura is happy, and I’m going to be fine with that.” He repeats that last part like a mantra, but it does nothing to lessen the hurt in his chest. 

Keith sits there for a few more minutes, staring at the dimming sun and thinking about nothing. He’s hungry, tired, and starting to get cold, so he gets up.

“Let’s go, Kosmo. We’ll miss dinner if we don’t get back soon.” Kosmo stands, shaking and fluffing up his fur. Keith lays a hand on the wolf’s back and catches one last glimpse of the sun coloring the sky red and orange before Kosmo teleports him away.

 

**Author's Note:**

> vld s8 feels like a fever dream... still, I liked voltron for what it was. i might be disappointed because of what they did to lance but honestly? that’s fine. canon doesn’t matter anymore and there’s always this wonderful website to go to for the ‘alternate realities’.


End file.
